Motor-truck.



s. J. BERNHElMERf Patented J 11110. 8, 1915.

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win/55st ATT'v 8.1. BERNHEIMER.

, MOTOR muck. APPLICATION nuz'o' NOV- 4. 1914.

Patented June 8, 1915.

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SANFORD J. BEBNHEIMER, OF ST. LOUIS MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR, TO THE ELECT-RO- MOBILE QOIVIIANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application filed June 12, 1913, Serial No. 773,336. Divided and this application filed November 4,

191 1. Serial No. 870,234.

T all i172 0221- it may concern:

Be it known that l, SANFORD J, BERN- imnmu, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Motor-Trucks, (being a division from my application'for Letters Patent for motor-trucks filed June 12, 1913, Serial No. 773,366,) of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This inventionrelates generally to motor trucks and, more particularly, to a certain new and useful improvement in-that class of motor trucks known commercially as industrial or baggage trucks, the principal object of my present invention being to provide a motor truck of the kind stated having means for simultaneously actuating the braking-mechanism thereof to off and on position and closing and opening the electrical circuit to the source of electrical energy or motive power of the truck.

lVith the above and other objects in view, my present invention resides in certain. novel featurcs of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, all as will hereinafter be described, and afterwardpointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, which show the preferred embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a plan view of a motor truck equipped with my invention, the platform of the truck being partly broken away to show the running gear and steering and brake mechanism; Figa 2 is a detail plan view, somewhat enlarged, of a portion of my new motor truck with the platform removed; and Fig. 3 is aside elevational view, also somewhat enlarged, of a portion of the truck, the platform being removed and parts being shown in section.

In the said drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts through out the several views, 1 indicates the bodyframe of the truck, which is, as is usual, formed of suitable channel side and end members riveted or otherwise fixed together at their ends, the flanges thereof being preferably presented outwardly. Fixed upon frame 1 is a platform 2. Suitably riveted or otherwise fixed to the side members of frame 1 are pairs of rigid longitudinally slotted front and rear axle pedestal-members l4 and5-5, respectively, each of which is preferably provided with a removable end or cross-piece 6 forming one of the walls of the slot therein, as shown particularly in Fig. 3.,

Supported at its ends in the slots of front pedestals 4. 'l, is a non-rotatable axle 8 provided with suitable steering knuckles-andaXles 99 having journaled for rotation thereupon suitable front or steering wheels 101 By means of a suitable hand-lever 12 pivoted at one end to an upstanding member 13 fixed on frame 1 adjacent the rear and preferably at the righthand side thereof and having suitable operative connection through rods 11 and 17 with steering knucklcsand-axles 9-9, wheels 1010 may be steered or guided as desired.

Arranged in the slots of rear pedestals 5 areboX-shaped heads 1818 preferably pressed on and forming part of a non-rotatable axle 19 having journaled for rotation thereupon suitable driving wheels 20 20. lntcrposed in the slots of pedestals 5 .above and upon heads 18 are suitable coiled or helical springs 21-, whereby frame 1 is resiliently supported upon, and permitted to yield or resiliently move vertically relatively to, rear or driving wheels 20 to take up any shocks or jars to which said wheels may be subjected in the running or operafor rotation a shaft 24 extending transversely of frame 1. Shaft 24: is preferably formed in two parts, the parts thereof extending end to end and being united or connectcd together by a suitable differential 25 of any ordinary or approved construction.

Fixed to shaft 24 to rotate therewith andadjacent each of the side members of frame 1 are gears or sprocket wheels 26-26 having connection by means of suitable chains 27-27 with larger gears or sprocket-wheels 28-28 fixed on the inner faces of driving wheels 2020.

Suitably supported at its ends on the side, members of frame 1 and at a point intermediate rear axle 19 and shaft 24, is a motoris a gear or sprocket 34 having connection supporting bar 29 and swingably hung on bar 29-by means of suitable lugs or the like I 30 maintained in proper position on bar 29 by means of suitable spacing members 31 sleeved on bar 29 between the side members of frame 1, is an electric motor 32 of any suitable or approved construction.

Fixed onthe' armature shaft of motor 32 by' means of a suitable chain 35 with a larger gear-or sprocket 36 fixed .ondifierntial 25. .By-means of sprocket-wheels 34 and 36 and their connecting chain 35, differential 25. will be operated and drivin or jack-shaft 24 rotated on the operation 0 the motor 32, rearfwheels 20 being correspondingly driven through sprockets 26 and 28 and their connecting chains 27. Hangers 23 are each provided with a rearwardly projecting lug or portion 37, and pivotally connected at one end to eachv of said lugs 37 and at its other end to,'a nd at a fixed point,as; at 38, upon adjacent pedestal 5' is a two-piece distance-rod 39 having its members adjustably connected by means of a turn-buckle orsleeve 40. By means of distance-rods 39 and their adjusting members 40, it will be obvious that driving or jackshaft 24 will be maintained in proper oper ative position relatively to driving-wheels, 2020 and that the position of driving-shaft 24 relatively tb-driving wheels 20 may be swingably altered or changed and the tension of driving-chains 27 correspondingly adjustedr J ournaled ondriving or jack-shaft 24 intermediate hangers 23-is a suitable two-piece or split collar 41 having a rearwardly extending lug or portion 42, in which is pivoted one end of a short bar or rod 43 adjustably fitting at its other end in'amember 44 fixed on the hub of motor 32. By means of bar or rod 43, motor 32 and differential 25 are maintained in proper operative position relatively to each other and the tension of differential driving-chain 35 readily adjusted.

Suitably pivoted on a bracket or the like 45 fixed to frame 1 adjacent the rear end and preferably at the left-hand side thereof, is a bell-crank lever 46, to one arm of which is'pivoted at its lower end an upstanding operating rod 47 pivotally connected at its upper end to an operating handle 48 substantially identical with steering-lever 12and likewise pivotally connected at one end to an upstanding member 48 fixed on frame 1 a and similar to saidupright 13. .Pivotally connected at itsrear end to the other arm of bell-crank lever 46 is a forwardly presented link 49 preferably curved upwardly at its.

forward end and there pivotally connected to an arm 50 of a bell crank lever 51 pivotally mounted on an arm or bracket 52 fixed to a controller-frame 53 fixed to and supported 1 frame 1. The other. arm 54 of bellcrank lever 51 is substantially in the form ofa segmental spur-gear or sector which meshes with a gear 55 fixed on a shaft 56 mounted in suitable bearings in controllerframe 53 and having fixed thereto within controller-frame 53 a cylinder 57 provided on its periphery with a plurality of starting and speed'contact-members 58 adapted to contact, on the rotation of cylinder 57,

with a plurality of fixed starting and speed contact-members 59 suitably mounted on controller-frame 53 and having 'suitable electrical connection through a rheostat 79 with motor 32. 4

Extending transversely of frame 1 adjacent the rear end, and journaled in suitable hearings on the side members, thereof, is a shaft 60 having fixed thereto a suitable footlever 61. Fixed-at one end to shaft 60 and depending therefrom is an arm or lever 62 pivotally connected at its lower end to the rear end of a forwardly presented link or rod 63 pivotally connected at its forward end to an arm 64 of a bell-crank lever 65 pivotally mounted on a suitable bracket 66 fixed to body-frame 1.' The other arm 67 of bell-crank lever 65 is pivotally connected by means of a.connecting link 68 with a member 69- fixed toa switch-cylinder70" loose on shaft 56 and provided on its periphery with a switch-contact-member 71 adapted. on the rotation of cylinder 70, to-

electrically contact with fixed switch'con- I tact-members 73- 73 suitably mounted on controller-frame 53, one of said contactmembers 73 having suitable electricahponnection with a storage battery or othersource of electrical energy (not shown) car:

ried by a skeleton cradle 72 fixed to-body frame 1, as seenparticularly in Fig. 1, and the other of said contact-members 73 being in electrical circuit with said controller contact-members 59.

Pivotally connected at its rear end to arm 64.0f bell-crank lever 65 is a linker rod 74 pivotally connected at its forward end to a brake-cam 7 5 operatively connected to a suitable band-brake mechanism 76 operating.

circuit to the storage battery or other source of electrical energy carried by-the truck is broken, operating handle 48 on rod 47 being 4 in substantially horizontal position relatively to the plane of body-frame 1 and foot-lever 61 being in uppermost position, or in the position thereof shown particularly in Fig. 3. To start the truck, foot troller-cylinder 57; at the same time,

through link 74, brake-cam 75 will be pivotally moved against the tension of spring 78 and braking mechanism 76 thereby released from braking engagement with the drum of differential 25, drivingshaft 24 and its differential 25 being then free to rotate. Now, through said operating handle 48, rod 47 is pivotally moved upwardly,

or downwardly, depending upon Whether it be desired the truck go forward or backward, to rotate cylinder 57 to bring movable speed and controlling contact-members 58 into electrical engagement with fixed speed or controlling contact-members 59 and thereby complete the circuit to motor 32, this movement of cylinder 57 being accomplished through bell-crank 46, link 49, arm 50, and the meshing engagement of segmental spur-gear 54 with-said gear 55 fixed on shaft 56. To stop the truck, the opers ators foot need only be removedfrom footlever 61, whereupon, through said spring 78, braking mechanism 76 will be at once thrown into braking engagement With the,

drum of differential 25 and cylinder 70 at the same time reversely actuated, electrical connection with said storage battery being thereby broken; afterward said operating lever 48'is brought to normal position and speed and controlling contact-members 58 and 59 thereby thrown out of electrical engagement. As is usual, a suitableinterlocking device may be provided between cylinders 57 and 70 to prevent switch-cylinder 7 0 being rotated to on position until operating lever 48 has been returned to, or is in, normal position. y

I am aware that changes in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my invention'may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described-without departing from the nature and spirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a motor truck, a drive-shaft, a source of electrical energy, a motor, a normally open electric circuit between said motor and source, of electrical energy, said circuit including a switch having a rotatably movable member, a brake mechanism for said shaft, a spring yieldingly maintaining. said brakev mechanism normally in bra-king engagement with said shaft, and-means on the truck adapted to-simultaneously release said brake mechanism against the tension of said spring and actuate said switch-member to close the circuit between said motor and source of electrical energy, said means including a lever, a pivoted bell-crank lever, a rodpivotally connected to said lever and to one arm of said bell-crank lever, a second rod pivotally connected to saidbrake mechanism and to 'said mentioned arm of said bell-crank lever, and a link pivotally connected to said switch member and to the other arm of said bell-crank lever. In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two-subscribing witnesses.

SANFORD J. BERNHIEIMIIR. Witnesses:

Rtr'rH PETERSON, EDGAR LITTMANN'. 

